User:BrotherWeber

Hello my fellow readers, My page is all about the history of the Jehovah Witnesses and my experience as a Witness. So thank you all so much for showing interest to the Witnesses. Hello I am Brother Weber I am a Jehovah Witness. Some of the history of the Witnesses as follows:

1870-1916: Charles Taze Russell and the Bible Students In 1870, Charles Taze Russell and others formed an independent group to study the Bible; in particular, Russell cited contributions by Advent Christian Church pastor George W. Stetson, and George Storrs, an Adventist preacher and former Millerite.[38][39] In 1877 Russell jointly edited a religious journal, Herald of the Morning, with Nelson H. Barbour. In July 1879, after separating from Barbour, Russell began publishing the magazine Zion's Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence,[40] highlighting his interpretations of biblical chronology, with particular attention to his belief that the world was in "the last days".[41] In 1881, Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society was formed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,[42] to disseminate tracts, papers, doctrinal treatises and Bibles; three years later, on December 15, 1884, Russell became president of the Society when it was legally incorporated in Pennsylvania.[40] Watch Tower supporters gathered as autonomous congregations to study the Bible and Russell's writings. Russell firmly rejected as "wholly unnecessary" the concept of a formal organization for his followers, and declared that his group had no record of its members' names, no creeds, and no sectarian name.[43] In 1910 he announced that the group would identify itself as the International Bible Students Association.[43][44] Russell died on October 31, 1916, and control of the Watch Tower magazine was temporarily passed to an Editorial Committee as outlined in Russell's will, with an Executive Committee in control of the Society pending the election of a new president.[45] 1917-1942: Joseph Rutherford Organizational changes In January 1917, the Watch Tower Society's legal representative, Joseph Franklin Rutherford, was elected as its next president. A power struggle developed between Rutherford and four of the Society's Board of Directors, who objected to his style of leadership.[46][47] On July 17, 1917, Rutherford replaced four of the directors, claiming they had not been legally elected.[48] On the same day, he also announced the release of The Finished Mystery as the seventh volume of Russell's Studies in the Scriptures series. The book was widely advertised to the public as "a posthumous publication ... of Charles Taze Russell", though much was actually written by two other Bible Students under the direction of Joseph Rutherford.[49][50] The Finished Mystery strongly criticized Catholic and Protestant clergy and Christian involvement in war.[51] Patriotic fervor during World War I and other animosities fueled persecution of the Bible Students in America and Europe,[52] including mob violence and tarring and feathering.[46] Citing this book, the United States federal government indicted Rutherford and the new board of directors for violation of the Espionage Act on May 7, 1918. They were found guilty and sentenced concurrently to 20 years' imprisonment.[53] During their imprisonment, elections for the Watch Tower directors took place again, and Rutherford was re-elected as president.[54] In March 1919, the judgment against them was reversed and they were released from prison;[55] the charges were later dropped.[56][57][58][59] Opposition to Rutherford among the Bible Students began to mount, prompting a significant number of members to cut ties with the Watch Tower Society and form new organizations.[60] Rutherford continued to tighten and centralize organizational control of those who remained loyal to the Society, with the Brooklyn headquarters appointing a "director" in each congregation in 1919, and a year later instructing all congregation members who participated in the preaching work to report their preaching activity weekly.[43] In 1925, following a dispute over a proposed article, Rutherford overruled the Watch Tower's Editorial Committee and took full control of the organization and of material published in the magazine.[47][61] On July 26, 1931, the name Jehovah's witnesses was adopted by resolution at a convention in Columbus, Ohio, based on the American Standard Version's rendering of Isaiah 43:10: "Ye are my witnesses, saith Jehovah". In 1932, Rutherford eliminated the system of selecting elders by congregational vote. In 1938, he introduced a "theocratic" or "God-ruled" organizational system, under which all appointments in congregations worldwide were made from the Brooklyn headquarters.[43] Doctrinal changes At an international convention held at Cedar Point, Ohio, in September 1922, a new emphasis was made on house-to-house preaching.[62] Significant changes in doctrine were made under Rutherford's leadership, including the 1918 announcement that Jewish patriarchs (such as Abraham and Isaac) would be resurrected in 1925, marking the beginning of Christ's thousand-year reign.[63][64][65] The failed expectations for 1925, coupled with other doctrinal changes, resulted in a dramatic reduction in attendance at their yearly Memorial, from 90,434 in 1925[66] to 17,380 in 1928.[67][68] In 1932 it was announced the Jews had no special role in God's earthly kingdom[69] and by 1933, the timing of the beginning of Christ's presence (Greek: parousía), his enthronement as king, and the start of the "last days", were each moved to 1914.[63][70][71][72][73] From 1935, it was considered that converts to the movement, if worthy, would survive Armageddon and live in a paradise restored on earth. Previously, membership was generally composed of those who believed they would be resurrected to live in heaven to rule over the earth with Christ.[74] As their interpretations of Scripture continued to develop, Witness publications taught that saluting the flag and standing for the national anthem are forms of idolatry. They were also instructed to refuse alternative service provided for conscientious objectors. (Objection to alternative civilian service was maintained until 1996, when it was deemed a 'conscience matter'.)[75][76] In Germany, Jehovah's Witnesses came under persecution, with as many as 5000 imprisoned in concentration camps.[77][78] Witnesses also experienced mob violence in the United States, and their activities were banned in Canada and Australia because of their refusal to accept military service.[79][80][81] 1942-present: Knorr, Franz, Henschel and Adams Nathan Knorr was named the third president of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society following Rutherford's death in January 1942. Knorr instituted major new training programs—the Theocratic Ministry School for all congregation members, and the Gilead School for missionaries. He also organized large-scale conventions, which attracted as many as 253,000 Witnesses to sports stadiums in the United States, Canada and Germany,[82] and began a campaign of real estate acquisition in Brooklyn to expand the organization's world headquarters. He commissioned a new translation of the Bible, which was released progressively from 1950 before being published as the complete New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures in 1961. Knorr's vice-president, Frederick William Franz, became the religion's leading theologian,[83] and helped shape the further development of explicit rules of conduct among members.

Jehovah's Witnesses are known for their preaching from house to house. From 1938 to 1955, the Witnesses launched a series of cases in the US Supreme Court to defend their right to worship and proselytize, winning 36 out of 45 cases.[84] Cases were also fought successfully in Canada and Australia.[85] From 1966, Witness publications began using their interpretations of biblical chronology to heighten anticipation of Christ's thousand-year millennial reign beginning in late 1975.[86][87][88] Focus on 1975 was intensified with talks given at conventions;[89][90][91] in 1974 a Watch Tower Society newsletter commended Witnesses who had sold homes and property to devote themselves to preaching in the "short time" remaining.[92] The number of baptisms increased significantly, from about 59,000 in 1966 to more than 297,000 in 1974, but membership declined after expectations for the year were proved wrong.[93][94][95][96] In 1980, the Watch Tower Society admitted its responsibility in building up hope regarding 1975.[97] The offices of elder and ministerial servant were restored to Witness congregations in 1972, with appointments being made from headquarters.[98] In a major organizational overhaul in 1976, the power of the Watch Tower Society president was diminished, with authority for doctrinal and organizational decisions passed to the religion's Governing Body.[99] Reflecting these organizational changes, publications of Jehovah's Witnesses began using the capitalized name, Jehovah's Witnesses.[100] Prior to this, witnesses was consistently uncapitalized, except in headings and when quoting external sources. Following Knorr's death in 1977, the position of president has been occupied by Frederick Franz (1977–1992), Milton Henschel (1992–2000) and Don A. Adams (2000-). The office now moves on a rotational basis among members of the Governing Body.